Once Upon a Time - Henry and Violet

Once Upon A Time #6

by Michelle Zink

Henry and Violet finally have a chance to be alone. Granted, it's on a school field trip, but with some clever planning and strategic maneuvering, they can orchestrate their own adventure in New York City, a fairytale land in its own right.

While they search for a treasured item that once belonged to Violet's father, they are met with obstacles they could never have predicted. What they thought would be a romantic getaway ends up being a true test of their relationship.

Are they destined for a happily ever after - or a new story altogether?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Fairy Tale Retellings

400 pages, Paperback

Published May 8, 2018

About the author

Michelle Zink is author of the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy, A Temptation of Angels, and This Wicked Game. Her next book, Lies I Told, releases Spring 2015.


Learn more on Michelle's blog at www.michellezink.com.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge fan of Once Upon a Time (the TV series), I can't write this review outside of the context of the bigger picture of that series. Set between seasons six and seven, the title of the book makes it very clear that it focuses on Henry and Violet. Season six wrapped up many of the storylines in the town of Storybrooke, with Henry still a teen, while season seven opened years later, exploring a now-adult Henry's relationship with Cinderella and their daughter. Clearly, at least one story remained to be told about teen Henry and his girlfriend, Violet. While the bulk of Once Upon a Time deals with the lives of characters from fairy tales, including magic and high adventure, the strength of the series to me were the very human interactions beneath all the fantasy. In that context, this book feels very much like a part of that series, even though there is almost no overt magic involved. Instead, we see a pivotal moment in Henry and Violet's lives, as they search through New York City over the course of two days for an old notebook that belonged to Violet's father. They learn about themselves, and each other, and start getting a sense of what they want from their lives and their futures.

Reading this book just a few days after the series finale of the TV series was a bit bittersweet. It was nice to spend some time with the characters from the first six seasons one last time, like Emma, Killian, and Mary Margaret, as well as young Henry and Violet. The end of this story, intentionally or not, made for a nice commentary on the end of the series as well. This was a story that was never going to be told in the actual TV series, and the details are probably not necessary to one's overall enjoyment of the series. However, as a fan who is always happy to learn more about these characters and spend some more time with them, this felt very consistent with what we've seen on the screen. To me, that is the very best sort of tie-in fiction: something that enhances my enjoyment of the overall story. I can't say if this novel would stand alone without any knowledge of the show, I don't know if that's something that a Once Upon a Time novel published during the seventh season of the show needs to do. I can say that fans of the series will enjoy spending time with these characters one last time.

[Jan van Es · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book so much. I would advice all Once Upon A Time Fans to read this wonderful Henry and Violet book.

[Kayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh! Every time I get dragged into these stories because I love Once Upon a Time. And I'm torn because I didn't like "Regina Rising" but I did like "Red's Untold Tale" so I feel the need to keep reading them because I might find a literary gem. This book, was nowhere close. I'm sorry but the literal story was Henry and Violet wandering around New York. Very little was happening. It was driving me crazy. I just wish more effort had been put into the plot of this book. I guess it was just riding on the famous t.v. show's name and figured even if it was crap people would still buy it. Which I, the sucker, unfortunately did because my local library did not have it. Also, I don't want to be depressed reading about how unhappy Violet is about their relationship and their impending breakup. No thanks! I wanted a fun, fantasy story not two stupid teenagers wandering around. Also, I felt like the voice of Henry in this book did not seem very much like the Henry in the show. This horrible book is making "Regina Rising" look a whole lot better. If you are reading this review before you've read the book, just don't even bother reading the book. You'll only be disappointed.

[Tris (bookinreads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

¿De verdad es esta la razón por la que la pareja más tierna de Once upon a time no termina junta? Quien escribió esto se nota que solo sabía lo básico de la serie y que no la vio ni analizó los personajes.

-La narración es repetitiva, está narrado por Violet y Henry y aún así ambos parecían ser la misma persona. Las frases, todo, a veces era como leer lo mismo demasiado.
-Ninguno personaje actuaba como era. Emma y Killian parecían de fanfics, Mary Margaret que literal se explicó en la serie que ya no quería ser llamada así sino Snow White, menos.
-Esperaba algo más mágico, que nos hablaran de como era un romance adolescente, quizá con una aventura mágica donde ella lo rescatara a él.
-Te meten que se van a graduar, o sea que han pasado AÑOS y quieren que nos creamos que Storybrooke la tierra llena de historias de amor verdadero y magia no va a aceptar el amor de dos adolescentes y les va a hacer pasar esas penas.
-Te dicen que han ido a NY varias veces al inicio, pero entonces actúan como sorprendidos por todo y se da el cambio.
-Llevan años de relación, ha sido sencillo y lindo, han discutido claro, pero han madurado y se aman, y aún así pareciera que estaban en la etapa de enojos sin sentido.
-Tienen un año para decidir, pero nos ponen a Violet desesperada por iniciar una vida adulta y dejar a Henry y luego Henry que veía futuro con ella. Muy raro para lo romántica que era ella en la serie.
-Además muchas cosas parecían fuera de la cronología.

Tuvo sus bonitas frases y las dos estrellas son por esas y porque me gustaba la pareja, pero me parece una forma de tirar el personaje de Violet y meter a Ella (quien apareció en la T7) y usar eso de "no siempre tu primer amor es el real" cuando ya sabíamos eso por Regina, Emma, Ruby, Mulán.

En fin, para pasar el tiempo ya que terminé la serie y no entendía porque no habíamos visto más de ellos siendo que los trabajaron dos temporadas.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Once Upon A Time is my favourite TV show, I had to read one of these companion novels. This one seemed like the one I thought I'd like the most and, as it's officially classed as canon and set after season 6, I was excited to get into this.

Now, I won't say I'm disappointed because I didn't hate it but everyone seemed out of character. Particularly Henry and Violet.

And I knew that they'd break up considering season seven (a season I didn't enjoy and didn't finish) but the reasoning I wasn't overly fond of.
The book was a little bit of a downer because Violet spends so much of the book just complaining about Henry, even when he gets grounded for her, spends time and money on romantic gestures and goes out of his way to make her happy, for her to be like 'I don't want Henry saving me all the time ffs, I'm my own person who can make my own decisions'.



Violet, you don't have to tell him everything, y'know. If you want to pick something yourself and make decisions, just do it then instead of relying on him then blaming him for caring and wanting to help you. He loves you, he wants to help. Just effing talk to him, it's called ~communication~. But nah, she wants to get as much out of him as possible in New York for her own gain then dump him after the trip. I liked you, Violet... don't use my boy Henry like that and do him dirty.

Henry deserves better.

However, the plot was sweet (mostly at the start) but it wasn't enough, especially for the length of the book. It just needed more. Finding a notebook and trying to find a shop but getting lost was a little boing and it dragged a little. If this wasn't a OUAT novel, I would have DNF'd it.

And when we find out who eventually had the notebook...



I said to myself, if it's her father who had it the whole time, I'll be irritated but that's what we got. I was expecting Mr Gold to have bought it for his shop which would have been better.

But on a more positive note, it was cute and very atmospheric. And the best part? Emma and Killian.



They're my favourite characters and I ship them so I was thrilled to see them in this. Even, as I said, everyone wasn't hugely in character, I was still happy.

One question though: why were Emma and Killian chaperones on a school trip? Aren't they both Sheriffs of Storybrooke at this point? I mean, I was really happy they were there as they made the book so much better but I just didn't get why they were on this field trip. It didn't make much sense to me really. I thought it would work better if they went there for a weekend trip and they ditched them to find the notebook rather than this whole field trip thing.

I would have preferred a story set in Storybrooke. I need all the Storybrooke goodness! I hope the other books have more to them because this just wasn't enough. I hate to say this but Henry and Violet aren't strong enough protagonists to have a story of their own. I liked the story better when Emma, Killian and Mary Margaret were in it and telling them off because lol.

[Stacie (MagicOfBooks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the usual for these "Once Upon a Time" spinoff books, I won't spend overly long on an overly lengthy review. So, "Henry and Violet" is about...well...Henry and Violet from the TV series "Once Upon a Time." We were introduced to Violet fairly late in the run of the series, but then she just disappeared, and if you've seen the final season, you know who Henry actually gets with. So what happened to Violet? This book answers all those questions. Not gonna lie, these two are sweet and cute. The main crux of this story is that Violet is looking for a book that belonged to her father back in Camelot, so she and Henry are using a school field trip in New York City to runaway and find this book. This is where some of my issues lie. Why didn't they just tell Emma and Killian all of this to begin with? Well, then there would be no story, you would say. But still. I found the whole idea of them running away, lying to Emma and Killian, rather over dramatic. Had they told Emma from the beginning what they were doing and why, Emma would have totally supported them and took the time and effort to help them. The entirety of this book is how Henry and Violet eventually breakup. They both are feeling awkward and uncomfortable about certain things and aren't sure how to express those feelings, afraid they will hurt the other. So the whole book begins to feel very over lengthy because you wish these two would just shout out what they are feeling and be down with it. There is obstacle after obstacle to finding this book that felt a tad bit unnecessary on occasion. So while it was nice and all to see how Henry and Violet split, did I need it? No, not really.

Either way, I'm done with all the spinoff books for "Once Upon a Time." I enjoyed the comic books way more. Found them more fun. The novels were a miss for me, because I felt like I never learned anything new. If anything, I'm feeling pretty nostalgic for "Once Upon a Time" at the moment and would love to revisit the show in the near future.

[Em theglitterybookworm_ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though I knew I wouldn’t like this, I’m still extremely disappointed.

[Maggy Boly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute and fun adventure book!

[Ana Varó · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice, un muy buen cierre para la historia de Henry y Violet que no llegamos a ver😭🫶🏼

[Max Lingwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for any Once Upon A Time fan!

This book is set between season 6 and season 7 (the soft reboot) and explains what happens to Henry and Violet’s relationship after season 6.

It starts with Henry and Violet preparing for a school trip. They are planning on running away and having a day to themselves in New York, as well as finding Violet’s dads book. Sadly for them, they have Emma Swan and Killian Jones (Hook) as their chaperones. As well as having Henry’s grandmother Snow White being in charge of the trip. 🍎

They are arrive in New York and enjoy a boat ride over to Ellis island. Here, Henry and Violet sneak off on another book back to the mainland to find the book. They go to the bookshop, which is sadly shut down. However, they find a clue as to who might know the whereabouts of the book.🚦

They then travel to Tiffany’s and find a young lady who’s Grandmother has the book. They travel the grandmothers house and discover she has already sold the book! Throughout all this time, there is supreme stress on their relationship as they are both deciding their futures. They discover the book is owned by someone in the Empire State Building and travel there..... 🗽

However, they are caught by Emma, Hook and Snow. After being dragged back for the dance, they are allowed to go and find the book. However, the book has already been sold! 📖

Disappointed, they make their way back to Storybrooke. Suddenly Violet realises her dad brought the book all along. 😂 what a twist!

They discuss their relationship and decide that they aren’t going to last forever, which is so sad! However, they end up going to prom together and they will always be there for each other!

As a fan of OUAT, this book is so fantastic! All the characters act exactly like they do within the show and the new characters suit the environment of this book. It is also nice to understand why Henry and Violet are not together in season 7.

The only downside I see to this one is that the story is quite generic. If it wasn’t about OUAT, this story wouldn’t receive much more than 3 stars. However, the story really worked for me!

4/5 Stars

Quick Note: I would have loved more Regina time! She’s always been my favourite!

[Maya ✌️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
This was just me crying over CS crumbs for a couple hours 😭❤️

[Tiffany Spencer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Henry and Violet
Violet and Henry are excited to be going on a trip to New York so they’ll get some privacy from his mothers and Violet’s ever interfering father. Once there, Henry and Violet plan to sneak away from the rest of their class and their chaperons (Emma and Killian) and visit a shop that they found online that has her father’s old notebook from Camelot-that held a lot of his inventions and ideas-. Somethings he’s spoken off occasionally and she knows he misses. On the bus ride there, Henry thinks about his future after talking to Emma. What will happen after Violet goes to college? He’s not sure he wants to go to college and has no idea what else he wants to pursue. Emma warns Henry not to base his plans around Violet because sometimes love doesn’t last, but Henry knows his and Violet’s will.

Unfortunately, things don’t quite go as planned. Henry and Violet plan to sneak away during the chaos of boarding the ferry, but because it’s so crowded and organized they can’t get the distraction they need. They finally get their chance when the class visits a wax museum and some of the students take a bathroom break.

Henry and Violet run into another challenge navigating the subway but Henry comes to the rescue and finds the right line to the antique store. Henry and Violet forget which stop is there and then when they finally get to the location, they realize they have the wrong one Violet and Henry get into an argument and each blame each other for giving the wrong address. Violet realizes that she shouldn’t be mad at Henry for taking lead when *she* could have. Something she’s been letting him do for a while. They make up and apologize.

The reach the antique store, BUT it’s CLOSED! Violet searches the website and finds the contact information of the person over the store (Mildred) and leaves a message. An odd man outside the store is singing a song that goes “Whitney comes to Fourth Street to bring Mildred and Emmet a morning treat. Then it’s on to Tiffany’s shiny rings until the next day when she brings more delicious things.” Violet things that maybe they can head to Tiffany’s (jewelry store) find Whitney (who possibly works there) and she can put them in contact with Mildred.

After a short stop in Central Park for hotdogs, they finally make it to Tiffany’s. (Emma and Killian have been blowing up Henry’s phone by this point worried). He leaves them a message that they’ll meet up with them. He’s anxious to prove to Violet she can count on him. It’s been a little tense but he's hoping that if this is a dead end they can get the rest of the trip back to being about them).

It turns out Whitney is Mildred’s grand-daughter. She says Mildred had to close the store because the rent got to high. She tries to call her grandmother, but she’s not answering. So she volunteers to take them to meet with her when she gets off work in an hour. Henry and Violet get into another argument because Henry thinks Violet is way too into the material world New York offers at every turn. Violet thinks it’s because she’s asserting herself (for example finding Whitney) and Henry can’t deal with it because she’s always let him be in control. Violet says things have been off between them for a minute. This surprises Henry because he’s been thinking things have been good other than a few minor fights. They agree that they should talk about it later but right now they’re focus should be the notebook.

More bad luck. Mildred says she sold the notebook three days ago. So Violet convinces Mildred it would be a good idea to give her the buyer’s address because reselling would be profitable to them. Henry just watches Violet like do I know you. Even though Henry is proud of Violet for taking charge (and they make up) he’s also insecure about Violet’s life away from him and what his life will be for him in the future. They’re almost to the Empire State Building when the others catch up to them. Violet explains about the notebook and says it’s her fault and pleads not to blame Henry. Henry says not to blame Violet because it was his idea to go with her and despite her telling him not to come, he would’t take no for an answer. They both plead to continue the search for the notebook now that there almost there. Emma says they’ll have to return back to the hotel because if they don’t the other chaperones will repot back to the Principal and Violet will be in more trouble if her father hears it that way. But she’ll try to bring them back to the Empire State Building tomorrow. She’s still mad at Henry (and he’s definitely grounded) but she understands what they were doing for Sir Morgan.

As Violet slow dances with Henry on the cruise, she realizes she’s not the same and that her feelings for Henry have changed. Henry realizes it to and he and Emma have a heart to heart. Emma says that it’s clear that Violet still loves Henry but sometimes people don’t stay the same. Sometimes they fall out of love. Henry loves Violet and can’t stand the thought of losing her, but he doesn’t want to stay with her if it makes her unhappy. HE asks Emma can he be Violet’s hero one last time and to allow them to get the notebook alone. She says if she can convince the other chaperones she and Killian will wait at a coffee shop while he and Violet go alone.

The next morning, Henry takes Violet to Columbia University to show her that he can see her (and support her) anywhere she decides to go. She kisses him, but it feels like a good bye kiss to him. Since the buyer is in a meeting when they get there, Henry surprises Violet by getting tickets to go to the top of the Empire State Building. As Violet looks out at NYC and thinks of the decisions she’s made she knows she’s ready to be independent. Henry almost asks Violet where they stand but chickens out. He decides he’s not ready for her answer or to let go.

They meet with Basil and he says he no longer has the notebook, He sold it to a private collector and he’s not giving out that information, Henry knows in that moment how much he loves Violet because of the way his heart hurts. He suggests they look online when they get home to see if the collector posted it but she says he can’t fix this and he can’t protect her from everything and she doesn’t want him too. Violet decides that to have a future she needs to let go of the past (not just the notebook, but Henry). Emma finds Issac “The Author” (ex) and he gives Henry some advice on letting go of the story when it’s at an end. He and Violet say their goodbyes (she tells him she has to learn to stand up on her own with having the crutches of Storybrooke). Then she gets a text and finds out her father is the one who bought the notebook. The book ends with Henry taking Violet on a carriage ride and Violet saying she’s going to apply to some colleges in NY, Boston, Seattle, Chicago, etc. She’s finally happy because her Dad is happy and she and Henry will remain friends having shared so many memories.

My Thoughts:
Well. it was an ending. That’s all I can really say about this. At least we know why Violet didn’t end up with Henry in the last season of the show. I didn’t like this story for a couple of reasons. The first were Violet’s thoughts were repetitious and tiresome! Worrying about her father’s happiness was acceptable. Even though toward the end I kind of guessed it would be that he’d already found a way to get the book. Another guess was that the notebook had found it’s way back to Storybrooke and it ended up in Gold’s shop and Emma would then make a deal with Rumple to get it back.

And then from the beginning it didn’t make sense for them (especially Henry) to think they could get away from Emma. It showed us from EPISODE ONE that Emma is a bail bonds person and one that’s really GOOD. This was never even mentioned in the story though tracking Henry’s phone did give nod to Emma’s character in the series. But Violet annoyed me highly because she’d go from being appreciative to Henry for having her back through while they go on a wild goose chase through the city to being annoyed and mad at him for minor reasons. She’s annoyed REPEATEDLY because SHE’s been passive and Henry’s been the one speaking up. That sounds like a PERSONAL problem to me.

I don’t always speak up when I need to but that’s something *you* have to work on and it doesn’t mean that you push the person away your with because like in this case Herny didn’t do it to make her feel inferior or like she was weak and couldn’t make her own decessions. He had no idea she felt that way. He did it to be helpful. I wish I had someone to take the lead sometimes so I wouldn’t have to try to figure everything out by myself. Violet should have been GRATEFUL! But women (females) have this thing sometimes about “I don’t need you to do that for me..” And don’t get me wrong, it’s good to be independent BUTI think we can go a little too far. Would it really kills us to let the guy be the hero, sometimes? Henry spend this WHOLE book trying to be the hero for her even when he knew his relationship was coming to an end and what does Violet tell him after they leave the private collector’s office. “You can’t protect me all the time and I don’t need you too.” I would have said “Fine! Then next time you need help with *anything* you can do it on your own!”

I would have broken up with *HER* right in the middle of that hallway. Then she starts worrying about “Am I wearing the clothes I wear because I like these clothes or do I wear them because it’s what everyone expect me to wear?” (rolls my eyes). This annoyed me because I’ve never been one to care about what other people think I should do. She worries about her future like when she gets back to Storybrooke she’s going to immediately graduate the day after. She had ONE MORE YEAR! I just thought it was SENSELESS. Violet is the kind of girl who thinks she can do better and then years later after she finds out she had something good is looking at her phone and decides to randomly give Henry a “I haven’t talked to you in some years and I saw your number when I was cleaning out my phone and thought I’d check up on you.”

What I didn’t like also was how Violet drug it out through the WHOLE book while Henry was just confused. I’ve seen this and I’ve experienced it when you think things are going ok with someone and all of sudden you get a call or text or visit “I don’t think this is gonna work out” and you have NO IDEA what went wrong. Until some years later when all of a sudden (out of guilt or whatever) they wanna explain. NO! So it all just fell on a very sour note with me. Especially after all the things Henry did for this girl. He even takes her on a romantic carriage ride at the end in Central Park. WHY? If someone had dumped me because they needed to “find themselves” I definitely wouldn’t plan a romantic afternoon for them. It was just SAD to see him trying to hold on for absolutely nothing. Maybe because I see someone I know trying like hell to hold on to someone that clearly had let go of them. So this book wasn’t good.

Rating: I will give this a 3. It did a good job painting the atmosphere of New York, but that was about it. It did nothing for Violet’s character and I got tired of all the dead ends which was all the book was.

[MissaSissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Once Upon a Time. I've read the other two of these books based on the show and was so excited when they released one based on Henry! I finished this in a night.

This story centers around teen Henry and his girlfriend, Violet. They get a chance to go to New York for a school trip and decide to sneak off to have their own fun (as teenagers do). Along the way they learn about the hardships of relationships and growing up.

I loved this. Seeing things from Henry's perspective was a nice twist, since he is more or less on the back burner during the later seasons of the show. It also adds a mature, real approach to relationships as a whole, which is great for teens and adults who are new to it.

Although slightly boring and long at some points, this is overall a fun read. If you're a fan of Once, check this book out.

[Madelyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited for a post-season 6 story, especially after being let down by season 7, but unfortunately this book also disappointed me. The story follows Henry and Violet, a couple years after season 6, on a school trip to New York, where they also try to find a journal that belonged to Violet's father. Emma and Killian had a small role in this book, and they were written really well, but Henry and Violet were getting on my nerves. I thought they were cute together on the show and was disappointed Violet wasn't acknowledged in season 7, but this book had me rooting for them to break up. Henry felt like he was written really out of character and so many problems in this book could've been solved by characters just communicating. There are a couple fun cameos, but overall this book isn't really worth your time.

[Sarah Kurtz · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the second book that I’ve read in this series of Once Upon A Time Continuations; this is not it for me. Just, nope.

While I understand that it serves a purpose, filling in the gap of time between Season 6 & Season 7, and what happened to Henry and Violet…after reading it I would have been fine just not knowing, too.

It’s written a bit like fan-fiction, which is OK and to be expected. But overall, I felt it was lacking good context. Basically, the moral of the story is Henry is so ‘in love’ with Violet he will blindly follow her into whatever she asks. But Violet pretty much doesn’t feel the same. Or, she might have, at one point.

This follows a school trip to NYC where Henry & Violet once again run away to do their own thing. Throughout the day as they run off on their own, they run into a bunch of problems, and ultimately everything is resolved but they break up. (And now you don’t have to read it.)

Finally, something that personally really, really irritated me was that Regina is HARDLY mentioned and when she is, Henry refers to her TWICE as Regina and not Mom. I’m sorry. But no. I cannot see that happening.

[Julia Stephenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because it looked interesting, and it was. I never even really got the chance to watch the show much. This book transported me to New York city where I pretty much followed Violet and Henry in their adventure to reclaim her dad's notebook of inventions. Little did they realize they would have to face several obstacles and tasks in order to reclaim it. As the story unfolds Violet and Henry face conflicting thoughts and emotions which also serves as an obstacle they face in the story. Henry and Violet eventually learn that things aren't always meant to be, but it isn't necessarily negative.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this after my daughter (she's 13 and a huge "Oncer"). She was excited to share it with me and because of that I was happy to read it and explore it with her. It's a fun book - easily recommended for young readers. It explores tweeny angst and issues of relationships well. It gives readers a bit of adventure through NYC. I'm sure it's fun for Oncers to read more about their favorite characters. It's ultimately sort of plotless, repetitive, cliched, and too long considering its arc -- but it's a simple and fun addition to a fandom.

[Every Way to Read · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never really liked Henry and Violet on the show, and this book definitely didn’t change my mind. Honestly, nothing much happens, they just wander around New York, and the plot felt very lacking and boring.

The writing is easy to follow, which makes it fine for slower readers, but the story itself didn’t engage me at all. If you were hoping for adventure, magic, or character development, this book doesn’t deliver.

Overall, I can’t really recommend this book, it felt pointless and dull, and I didn’t enjoy it.

[Erica Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wondered what happened to violet so it was nice that this book answered that question. At first I thought that the stress in their relationship was out of nowhere, but then I remembered my own high school relationship and realized that it was pretty accurate. It was about two kids growing up and realizing they were heading down different paths. It wasn’t my favorite book ever but it would be a good recommendation for teens in a transitional period at the end of high school.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so this book was kind of stretched a little too long in my opinion. But this book broke my heart over again because it felt like I was saying goodbye to the show again. I miss it so much! I never loved a tv show more then I loved that one! It’s nice to know what happened between Henry and Violet. And it was nice to hear from all the old characters again. I truly miss them. Always a onceler ❤️❤️❤️

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

For what it is, this is actually pretty good. It's a great character piece for Henry and Violet. If you're looking for a grand adventure, this isn't it, but if you're looking for some character development that fills in some of the gaps in the series, this is the one. My only nitpick is that Henry was a little too unfamiliar with New York City for a kid who lived there for a year (during the Missing Year). And Killian was a bit too adept with technology, but I guess even a pirate can learn!

[Ella Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think as a book in itself it would be considered a little bit bland. But with the bigger picture of the Once Upon A Time series and an understanding of the characters before you start reading it's definitely a very good read! I especially liked the theme of letting go of teenage relationships because of moving away/ having different ideas for your lives. I don't think that's something that you see in alot of YA but it is definitely an important part of YA experience and growing up!

[Moriah Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I really liked this!!
I was always a bit upset that Henry and Violet broke up so with everything explained, I feel a bit better about it.
Watching them both going on the search was great! It had me laughing alot and going 'seriously?? Come on!'
It was such a sweet read!
Content:
Language: one almost use of 'a' and 1 use of 'God'
Violence: none
Romance: kisses, caresses, embraces. Mentioning of a 'make out spot'
Age recommendation: 13+

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and Henry snd Violet, getting to read their story and then going on an adventure of their own. I loved also getting to read more about the characters I had come to love from the show and reading their own adventure. This is a favorite book of mine and will always hold a special place in my heart for the story and the characters. I loved how each chapter was either from Henry’s or violets perspective. I enjoyed the authors writing style.

[Your Common House Bat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good companion book for Oncers. It was nice to know exactly what happened between Henry and Violet as that was a huge question I had between seasons 6 and 7. I also like Zink's writing style; I've read her Prophecy of the Sisters novel and was thrilled to see that she was the author of this book.

[Kati · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is hard for me to rate and review. While I enjoyed the story of Violet and Henry growing up and coming to realizations about themselves, I missed the Storybrooke feel of the show and the characters felt rather OOC. There also wasn't a lot happening and I found myself skimming over Violet and Henry's trek around NYC.

[Lyra Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars. I wanted to like this book, I really did. I’m a huge fan of the Once Upon a Time show, so I was excited to have some more material for it. I was hoping this book would be like an extension of the show, but it just didn’t do that for me. There were a lot of things I didn’t like, which you can find in my full review on my blog.

[Macrina DuRant · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story takes place between seasons 6 and 7. It wasn’t my favorite OUAT novel. However, it does reveal why Henry and Violet break up. I just found it annoying that they ran away in New York again. They were looking for a book from Camelot in New York that belongs to Violet’s father. They should’ve told Emma and Hook about it but caused them to worry about their whereabouts.

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Henry Mills and Violet Morgan take a field trip to New York City.
While in town, Henry and Violet conspire to go off on their own to find a notebook that belongs to Violet's father.
A bitter sweet romance set against the backdrop of New York.

[fangirlishwandering · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book. It definitely gave me closure on Henry and Violet’s story.
Loved the pace, loved the reason the author imagined that caused their break-up.
Loved all the Emma-Mary Margaret-Killian-Henry moments.

Now I need a CaptainSwan book.